In recent weeks, there has been a marked increase in the number of hospitalizations of patients aged 60 and older with severe pneumonia after infection with the omicron strain, experts from the Fujimino Medical Center (Japan) said.

According to Express, more than half of the above patients arrived at the hospital with pneumonia and needed artificial respiration.

According to medical center's director Akira Kano, severe pneumonia occurs in older patients who were vaccinated a long time ago, even if they received two doses of the vaccine. He also said that the information about the Omicron strain "softening" is not consistent with what he has seen in practice.

That is why experts recommend that people over 60 be especially cautious and not let their guard down amid claims that the Omicron strain is less dangerous than previous strains of the coronavirus.